DOT Ramming More Bike Lanes Down East Side's Throat!

Is there no rest from the jack booted tyranny of bicycle lanes?! Despite earnest objections from right-leaning columnists and litigious NIMBY scolds, the DOT is steamrolling ahead with a plan to extend bike lanes up First and Second Avenues. Although Community Board 6 voted to approve this section of the project [pdf], which runs from 34th Street to 59th Street, bike lane "zealot" Janette Sadik-Khan has flagrantly disregarded the opinion of the local tabloids, and nothing will stop her from ramming her "traffic calming" initiative down the appreciative throats of community leaders, pedestrians, and cyclists.

This is a continuation of a Select Bus and traffic calming project which started last year on First and Second Avenues, which now have dedicated bike paths separated from traffic from Houston Street to 34th Street. The DOT will now extend the protected bike path on First Ave up to 49th Street, at which point they're shoving in a shared bike lane up to 59th Street. Over on Second Avenue, there will be a shared bike lane from 59th down to 34th. Also coming down the East Side's throat? "Bus bulbs"; little curb extensions that enable the Select Buses to pick up new passengers without pulling over to the side of the street.

But of course the radical bike lobby won't rest there! They want bike lanes all the way up to 125th Street, at which point the DOT will no doubt tear up the streets and build an elevated bike Skyway running over a meadow of opium poppies all the way to up to Inwood Park. And the bike freaks are loving it—Transporation Alternatives says First Avenue saw a 153 percent increase in bicycling since the lane was originally installed. Their numbers are growing, and once the DOT's bike lane battle system is fully operational, there will be no peace anywhere in the galaxy. Help us, Steve Cuozzo, you're our only hope!

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By John Del Signore in News on July 7, 2011 4:40 PM

Comments [rss]

Sheryl Yvette

that's one of my fave bike lane pics- shows the sheer ridiculousness that goes on in bike lanes. I was, of course, on my bike when I took that. it's an effing obstacle course out there!

Guest

Finally, that area is a dangerous place to ride.

randomtransplant

This is one small step for man,

magnified greatly through the mechanical advantage of advantageous gear ratios

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mistermarkdavis

It would be great if I could get from lower Manhattan to east midtown on a bike and back.

Jimbo853okg

Anything that sends Channel 2's Marcia Kramer into fits of rage is OK by me: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/20...

Joshua

This is great right here "A Second Avenue bike lane is next to the Israeli consulate, leaving many wondering what would happen if a man on a bike were a terrorist."

Fronko

Marcia Kramer strikes again! What an utter joke she is. CBS 2 is a parody of news.

Gwinny

Up 1st, down 2nd was my commute for nearly 9 years... until 2008. I sure wish this had all happened sooner. But yeah, this is great news for cyclists since these avenues are by far the best way north/south on the East Side.

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

That's great news. I found a nice bike that was with the garbage over the weekend, now I have gears! (not a fixed gear guy, just like the simplicity of single speed freewheel bikes like when I was a kid)

randomtransplant

Mind if I borrow everything from 'i found' to 'have gears'?

It would go great on the back of a jersey.

cr17

single speed freewheel is the way to be.

Joshua

totally. Fixed gear in the city is too damn scary for me on this side of 30. Love my surly steamroller ss fw...

Emmily_Litella

This will encourage more people to ride the east side greenway and relieive the overcrowding on the Hudson River greenway. The far east side is poorly served by transit, so we can expect more new converts to biking. When the disgruntled former motorists are forced to convert in a couple few years, watch out douche watchers.

Stiggs66

Love it! I've been cycling in this city for 25 years and it is getting easier though all hipsters should be required to have brakes.

edgie168

so.. are they going to build one on delancey going to/from the williamsburg bridge or not?

StedyRuckus

No Need. Use Rivington or Stanton.

ganghiscon

I don't know how feasible that would be, but the new bike approach about to open on the Queens side of the Queensboro is amazing.

kevd

It would be totally feasible along the center median.
as would bus lanes over the bridge and along delancey to meet the 1st and 2nd ave bus lanes north and south. the brooklyn BRT route is currently slated to end at brooklyn side of the williamsburg bridge.
which is dumb.

eileen emond

The bike paths are awesome. Driving in NYC is crazy enough as it is. To expect bikers to safely navigate their way down 5th avenue during rush hour traffic is a joke. BRING IT ON DOT! I'm ready.